Florida Walmart stores are plastering their Facebook pages with the image above announcing Walmart will now match Buy One Get One Free competitor offers. The caption on the Walmart Florida Facebook walls states,
“You asked, we listened:
Walmart now matches “Buy one, get one free” offers from Publix and other stores.”
While the Walmart Ad Match Guarantee has not been officially updated by Walmart online, Florida stores have confirmed this change.
Here are more specific details about the Walmart Ad Matching policy regarding BOGO sales:
- BOGO ad-match policy only applies to Florida stores and is a departure from Walmart’s National Ad-Match Guarantee, posted on it’s corporate website.
- It will be honored by Walmart retail stores, SuperCenters and Neighborhood Markets
- BOGO deals will be matched using Walmart’s everyday price, even if it’s lower than the competitor’s price
- Customers will not need to have the competitors’ ad with them. Walmart stores will keep track of BOGO deals at Publix, Winn-Dixie and other stores and give them to customers who ask at checkout. (We recommend taking your competitors’ ad in with you.)
- Walmart will accept coupons (one per scanned item) on BOGO offers in Florida
- There is a limit of two BOGO offers per item
- BOGO matching in Florida went into effect Sept. 23 as a pilot program and could remain indefinitely.
So what does this mean to Publix and other stores?
Will couponers flock to Walmart in droves now?
We compared several current sale items available at Publix and Walmart to find which store is really less expensive. {To do a true comparison of store versus store, much more has to be considered than one single point in a coupon policy. It comes as no surprise to us that with this recent Walmart Coupon Policy change some items are cheaper at Walmart and some items are cheaper at Publix.}
Here is what we found:
Some items were (slightly) cheaper at Walmart with the BOGO Price Match:
All 2x or Small & Mighty Detergent, 24ct or 32-50oz
Publix Price: BOGO @ $5.99
Walmart Price: $4.97
Coupons available:
$1/1 All Detergent, exp. 11/10/13 (RP 09/29/13)
$1/1 All 32/33 Laundry Detergent Product printable
$1/1 All Laundry Detergent printable
Publix Final Price: $2 each
Walmart Final Price: $1.49 each
Save $0.51 at Walmart
Nature Made VitaMelts, 50-60ct
Publix Price: BOGO @ $7.99
Walmart Prices range from $5.88 – $8
(**Publix Ad shows “Energy” & “Vitamin D” which are $5.88 each on Walmart.com)
Coupons available:
$2/1 Select Nature Made Vitamin or Supplement Item Target printable (includes Vitamelts)
$2.25/1 Nature Made Vitamelt printable
Publix Final Price (with stacked Qs): Buy (2), use SQ & (2) $2.25/1 MQs. Pay $1.49/2 or $.75 each!
Walmart Final Price: Buy (2), use (2) $2.25/1 MQs. Pay $1.38/2 or $.69 each!
Save $0.06 at Walmart
Some items were cheaper at Publix even with the BOGO Price Match:
Dial Body Wash, 16oz
Publix Price: BOGO @ $4.25
Walmart Price: $3.97
Coupons available:
$2/2 Dial, Dial For Men or Dial Kids Body Wash or Dial Bar Soap @ Target printable
$1/2 Dial for Men or Tone Body Wash, exp. 10/5/13 (RP 09/08/13) (**Watch Expiration**)
Publix Final Price (with stacked Qs): Buy (2), use SQ & $1/2 MQ. Pay $.63 each!
Walmart Final Price: Buy (2), use $1/2 MQ. Pay $1.49 each.
Save $0.86 each at Publix
Suave Deodorant, 2.6oz
Publix Price: BOGO @ $1.99
Walmart Price: $0.97
Coupons available:
$1/2 Suave Products, exp. 10/11/13 (Publix Purple (H&B) Advantage)
Publix Final Price: Buy (2), use SQ. Pay $0.50 each!
Walmart Final Price: $0.97 (no MQs available at this time)
Save $0.47 each at Publix
Other Things To Consider When Comparing Coupon Policies and Prices:
- Prices vary store to store within the same location for both stores (Publix and Walmart)
You won’t know which Publix ad Walmart will have to compare the BOGO prices to. Even though Walmart says you don’t need to bring in the ad, we recommend you should bring the competitors’ ad in when you shop. - Walmart will not accept Publix Store Coupons and many other competitor coupons including $ off Total Amount coupons (i.e. $5 off $30 Total Purchase coupons)
–The examples above that are less at Publix are cheaper because there was a Store coupon available that Walmart does not accept.
–Walmart does not accept dollars/cents off an item competitor’s coupons.
Here is the wording from the Walmart Coupon Policy regarding Competitors’ Coupons:
Walmart will accept “A specific item for a specified price, for example, $2.99”
Walmart will accept ” Buy one, get one free (BOGO) coupons for items with a specified price”
(BOGO Store Coupons generally do not state a price)Here are two examples of readily available Publix Store coupons Walmart will not accept:
- Brand and size selection –
Walmart has significantly less brands of products to choose from. They also don’t carry all the sizes some products are available in.
We were unable to compare several of the items listed in the Publix Sales ad because the products are not carried at Walmart stores. - All of the Super Best Deals at Publix are not ONLY from their BOGO sale items.
Here is an item from a current Publix Sale that is not BOGO:Listerine Mouthwash or Rinse, 500ml or 1L – $3.99 (Walmart price is $3.97)
$1/1 Listerine Mouthwash, 1 or 1.5 Liters or Listerine Whitening Rinse, 16-32oz (Publix H&B Adv. Flyer)
$2/1 Listerine Mouthwash printable
Final Price Publix: $.99
Final Price Walmart: $1.97
Save $0.98 each at Publix - Other Stores offer Promotions not available at Walmart:
–$10/$50 Gas Card Deal at Publix (Walmart does offer a gas deal usually during the summer, but the Gas Card deals at Publix are much more frequent)
–Publix Brand Challenge (Purchase a Publix brand item and get the name brand item for free.)
–Make A Meal & What A Deal offers at Winn Dixie (Bundled items offered at reduced prices offered almost weekly at Winn Dixie stores) - Walmart does not offer Rainchecks
If a sale item is out of stock at most grocery stores, they will give you a raincheck on that sale item. Walmart doesn’t offer rainchecks. Are we just outta luck?
Coupon policies and prices are just two things to consider when choosing where to shop. Ultimately people tend to shop where they get great prices and Customer Service. Publix stores have consistently been the most coupon friendly throughout in our area. Plus, they consistently offer store coupon promotions as well as their generous competitor coupon policy to help save your bottom line. In our opinion, this new Policy is a step in the right direction for Walmart, but still doesn’t hold a match to the ease of shopping at Publix.
We would love to know what our readers thing about this recent Walmart Coupon Policy change. Leave us a comment below sharing your opinion!
